“I knew immediately that she was not only good, but she was a special talent. She did things with the golf club that you don’t normally see with someone her age,” Novak recalls.

Her competition learned, too, in 2018 that the talented sophomore is a force to be reckoned with.

In addition to winning several events on the Toyota Tour Cup series, she finished in a four-way playoff at the CIF Southern Section Individual Finals, where she ultimately placed third. Canales was also one stroke away from qualifying for the CIF State tournament.

She proved she is one of top girls golfers in Southern California, and for her efforts during the 2018 season, Canales has been selected as the Los Angeles Daily News Girls Golfer of the Year.

Canales didn’t make a splash on the scene her freshman year, while her older sister Olivia was having a huge year, but Novak had a feeling that 2018 was going to be the breakout year that would put her on the map.

“Part of it was her physical maturity,” Novak said. “She was hitting it longer than she ever had before and that led her to using her short irons to put up some really good scores. She’s gotten super-confident with the driver. She also has a desire to be better than everyone else. She practices 3-4 hours a day at the golf course.”

Canales has learned her lessons well from her older sister Olivia, a senior. They both have found their niche on the golf course and push each other at practice and tournaments. It is in those moments that Caroline’s mental development has taken shape.

According to Novak, she is fiercely competitive and has provided an avenue for her teammates to follow while trying to improving their game.

“Her work ethic and drive rubs off on everybody on the team,” Novak said. “I had a lot of freshmen on our team this year and they are learning what it takes to be at the level she is playing at.”

Golf can humble even the most talented of players. While most golfers would do anything for the year that Canales put together, there is an inner-drive that still burns inside the sophomore.

Immediately after falling short at the sectional and state regionals, she confided to Novak a glimpse of what could be in store for the next several seasons.

“When she got the third-place trophy at sectionals, she didn’t want to take it,” Novak said. “She was so unhappy with the result. When she just missed out on going to state, she told me, ‘I’m going to be a state finalist next year – I’m going to get there.’ ”